Sales Resume Examples & Writing Guide 

This comprehensive guide will assist you in crafting a sales resume capable of commanding six-figure offers. It features top-notch sales resume examples and a curated list of essential sales skills for your resume.

Looking for a comprehensive list of sales skills to include on your resume? Eager to learn how to effectively showcase your experience to impress recruiters? Well, you’re in luck! Introducing our guide tailored just for you.

In just a few scrolls, you’ll discover the most effective sales resume writing practices. These strategies will enable you to highlight your skills, experience, and talent effectively. Let us introduce you to a guide that could potentially transform your career trajectory forever!

This guide will cover:

– A sales resume example that outperforms 9 out of 10 other resumes.
– Techniques for crafting the best sales resume to secure more interviews.
– Tips and examples on showcasing achievements and sales skills on your resume.
– Strategies for describing your experience on a sales resume to land any job you desire.

 

Sales Resume Example

Farrah Wolfe

Sales Professional

337-201-8742

[email protected]

Linkedin.com/in/farrah-c-wolfe

Professional Summary

Accomplished and energetic sales professional with 8 years of experience in the automotive industry. Thanks to excellent customer service, great people skills, and a personable attitude, maintained top sales staff member status for the past 2 years. Secured a total of 4 key accounts for Cars&Go Ltd. Looking to join BNP Drivers to exceed expectations and increase profits for all parties involved.

Work Experience

Sales Professional

Cars&Go Ltd., Tampa, FL

February 2015–present

Key responsibilities

• Satisfied the needs and requirements of a diverse portfolio of over 25+ assigned client accounts.
• Ensured timely delivery of paperwork for both external and internal purposes.
• Presented between 5–10 vehicles daily for potential buyers.
• Provided advisory services for customers, keeping in mind the latest OSHA regulations, newest releases, and reputations of 8 different car brands.
• Personally responsible for driving overall company profits up by 2% year on year.

Key achievement: Sold over 2,000 cars to individual clients and assisted in signing multiple long-term contracts for vehicle fleets with over 20 companies.

Sales Associate

RedGreenYellow&Co., New Orleans, LA

July 2013–February 2015

Key responsibilities

• Excelled at creating a friendly atmosphere at the car dealership by providing proper customer service.
• Resolved financial issues on behalf of and with clients.
• Handled transactions up to $250,000.

Education

BA in Marketing

University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

Graduated: 2009

Key Skills

• Excellent customer service
• Extensive knowledge of the automotive industry
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• POS knowledge
• Generating leads
• Maintaining great relations with existing clients
• Brand management
• Teamwork and excellent communication
• Problem-solving skills

Certificates

• Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP), National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP), 2015
• Sales and Customer Relationship Management, Florida International University, 2009

 

Structure Your Sales Resume Effectively

Sales professionals are responsible for promoting a company’s products and services. By understanding customer needs and providing exceptional service, they cultivate lasting relationships with key clients. Successful sales resumes should highlight outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.

Imagine James, the sales manager, sifting through a mountain of resumes in search of the ideal candidate. With hundreds to review and limited time, it’s crucial to make it easy for him to recognize that you’re the perfect fit. This entails employing effective formatting techniques to ensure your resume stands out clearly and transparently.

Consider the following tips when crafting a sales job resume:

1. Begin by including your contact information in the resume header section.
2. Opt for the reverse chronological layout to showcase your job experience prominently at first glance.
3. Organize your resume into distinct sections for clarity.
4. Choose classic fonts like Arial, Garamond, or Cambria, set to 11–12 pt., for optimal readability.
5. Aim for a concise resume length, typically limited to a single page. Remember, a sales job resume should not resemble a product catalog.
6. If you have extensive sales experience exceeding 10 years, a two-page resume may be appropriate, but only if your achievements warrant the additional space.
7. Finally, save your completed resume as a PDF file to ensure formatting remains intact.

Craft an Outstanding Sales Resume Summary or Sales Resume Objective

So, you’ve successfully grabbed the recruiter’s attention with a visually appealing resume format—excellent!

Now, it’s time to keep the momentum going. Your sales resume has piqued their interest, but now you must strive to captivate their attention. The most effective way to do this is by crafting a compelling profile section for your resume. Think of it as a powerful elevator pitch that highlights your strengths and most notable achievements.

There are two types of sales resume profiles to consider. Seasoned sales professionals should opt for a resume summary. In this section, vividly describe your years of experience and showcase your most impressive career accomplishments. The goal of your sales resume summary is to impress the recruiter with your stellar sales track record, akin to Michael Scott in his prime!

Here’s an example of a well-crafted sales resume summary:

Sales Resume Example: Summary

RIGHT
Dynamic and accomplished sales professional with 8 years of experience in the automotive industry. Recognized for delivering exceptional customer service, fostering strong interpersonal relationships, and maintaining top sales staff member status for the past 2 years. Successfully secured 4 key accounts for Cars&Go Ltd. Seeking to leverage expertise at BNP Drivers to surpass expectations and drive profitability for all stakeholders involved.

WRONG
Experienced sales professional with 8 years of experience. Strong customer service skills and team player responsible for managing key accounts. Seeking to join BNP Drivers.

The second example falls flat—it lacks impact and fails to convey significance. It’s a joke Jim from “The Office” wouldn’t even attempt.

Sales Resume Example: Career Objective

Motivated and personable sales associate renowned for outstanding customer service abilities. Successfully managed financial transactions totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars and adeptly resolved client inquiries while employed at RedGreenYellow&Co. Aspiring to transition into a professional sales role with Green Car Co., utilizing a bachelor’s degree in marketing and exceptional relationship-building skills.

Create an Exceptional Sales Resume Work Experience Section

Research indicates that 20% of salespeople generate 80% of sales—a statistic worth considering when crafting your sales resume. To secure that coveted job, your resume must showcase you as a top-tier sales professional within that elite 20%. A well-organized and compelling work experience section is your most powerful asset in achieving this goal. Here’s how to effectively describe sales experience on a resume:

1. Follow the reverse chronological format, beginning with your most recent position and working backward.
2. Clearly state your job title, years of employment, and outline your responsibilities and significant sales achievements in 4–6 bullet points for your most recent role, and 3–4 for previous positions.
3. Remember the mantra “ABC”—Always Be Closing—by incorporating impactful resume action verbs to seize the reader’s attention.
4. Numbers are paramount in the sales world, so include as many quantifiable metrics as possible in your work experience section. Numbers grab attention and demonstrate tangible results.
5. For optimal success, customize your resume for each job application, just as you would tailor a sales pitch to individual customers by appealing to their specific values and needs.

Sales Professional

Cars&Go Ltd., Tampa, FL

February 2015–present

RIGHT:
– Managed a diverse portfolio of over 25+ assigned client accounts, ensuring their needs and requirements were met satisfactorily.
– Facilitated timely delivery of paperwork for both external and internal purposes.
– Demonstrated between 5–10 vehicles daily to potential buyers.
– Provided advisory services for customers, staying abreast of the latest OSHA regulations, newest releases, and reputations of 8 different car brands.
– Personally contributed to a 2% year-on-year increase in overall company profits.
– Key achievement: Successfully sold over 2,000 cars to individual clients and played a pivotal role in securing multiple long-term contracts for vehicle fleets with over 20 companies.

WRONG:
– Managed client accounts and handled paperwork.
– Presented cars to potential buyers.
– Contributed to driving company profits year-on-year.

Enhance the Education Segment of Your Sales Resume

If you’ve been advised that the education section of a sales resume is inconsequential and can be swiftly dismissed, that advice is misguided. However, there’s a caveat:

For highly experienced individuals with 5 years or more in the industry, simply listing your degree, school name, year of graduation, suffices.

Sample Sales Resume: Education

RIGHT:
– Bachelor of Arts in Marketing
– University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
– Graduated: 2009

Otherwise, including additional information from your college years can be beneficial to fill in any gaps.

For those crafting an entry-level resume education section:

– Including your GPA on your resume is advantageous if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, omit it as it may not work to your advantage.
– Highlighting Latin honors on your resume demonstrates high achievement.
– Incorporating extracurricular activities on your resume portrays proactive engagement and teamwork, particularly if they are relevant to sales.
– Mentioning relevant coursework on your resume ensures the inclusion of essential sales- and business-related keywords.

Here’s an example adhering to the aforementioned guidelines:

Sales Resume Examples: Education

RIGHT:
– Bachelor of Arts in Marketing
– University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
– Graduated: 2009

– GPA: 3.9; Excelled in Personal Selling and Consumer Behavior courses
– Other relevant coursework: Market research, Marketing Statistics, Customer Relationship Management, and Business to Business Sales and Marketing.

If you possess minimal sales experience, consider swapping the positions of the work experience and education sections. The objective is to lead with your strongest asset, which in this case, may be your academic achievements.

Pick the Right Skills for a Sales Resume

The skillset required for a successful salesperson must be exceptionally versatile, without question. However, your skills section cannot simply state “Everything,” even if that might be accurate!

Follow these steps to curate the most relevant sales skills for your resume:

1. Create a spreadsheet in Excel and categorize your skills into three sections: soft skills, hard skills, and technical skills. If you identify any additional skills that don’t fit these categories, make note of them as well.
2. Refer back to the job posting and carefully analyze it for the most crucial resume keywords mentioned. Typically, employers are seeking specific qualities in their ideal sales candidate.
3. Cross-reference your spreadsheet with the job advertisement. Identify any matches between the skills you possess and those sought by the employer. Highlight these skills prominently on your sales resume.
4. Congratulations! In less than 5 minutes, you’ve not only navigated past the watchful eye of the dreaded resume ATS, but you’ve also impressed the hiring manager, who likely views you as a one-in-a-million candidate.

Below is a sample list of sales skills for your reference:

– Soft Skills:
– Communication
– Negotiation
– Relationship Building
– Adaptability
– Time Management
– Persuasion

– Hard Skills:
– Product Knowledge
– Sales Techniques
– Market Research
– Lead Generation
– Closing Deals
– Account Management

– Technical Skills:
– CRM Software
– Microsoft Office Suite
– Social Media Management
– Data Analysis
– Email Marketing
– Presentation Skills

 

Sales Skills for Resumes

• Product Knowledge
• Rapport Building
• Interpersonal Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Lead Qualification
• Communication Skills
• Relationship Building
• Active Listening
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Customer Needs Analysis
• POS & Payment Handling
• Conflict Resolution & Mediation
• Customer Service Skills
• Marketing Skills
• Brand Management
• Specialized Product Knowledge
• Contract Negotiation
• Self Motivation
• lient Nurturing
• Adaptability Skills
• Closing Sales & Signing Contracts
• Leadership Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Project Management Skills

Sales Skills on a Resume: Example

• Excellent customer service
• Extensive knowledge of the automotive industry
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• POS knowledge
• Generating leads
• Maintaining great relations with existing clients
• Brand management
• Teamwork and excellent communication
• Problem-solving skills

Display Your Personality and Additional Skills Through Supplementary Sections on Your Sales Resume

If you’ve been attentively following and implementing the advice provided thus far, you likely have a solid sales job resume in your possession—impressive work!

But why settle for decent when you have the opportunity to create the best sales resume possible? Let’s aim higher!

Now is the time to showcase your passionate side and demonstrate that there’s more to you than just your exceptional skills and experience.

One of the simplest ways to achieve this is by incorporating additional resume sections. Here are some suggestions:

– Including sales- or customer service-related certifications and licenses on your resume demonstrates your commitment to professional development.
– Listing foreign languages spoken can provide a competitive edge, particularly in large companies that engage with international clients.
– Membership in relevant professional associations serves as evidence of your dedication to advancing your career.
– Adding hobbies and interests offers a personal touch; however, it’s important to note that in a vice president of sales resume, such details may seem out of place.
– Similarly, showcasing volunteer work provides insight into your individuality and commitment to social causes.

Secure the Opportunity With a Polished Cover Letter

Do you require a cover letter?

Absolutely—given that 45% of recruiters won’t even consider reviewing your sales resume without one.

Follow these guidelines, and you’ll draft a compelling cover letter in no time:

– Ensure proper formatting before commencing writing.
– Commence the cover letter by introducing yourself, detailing how you discovered the job opportunity, and highlighting a few standout moments from your sales career to captivate the reader’s attention.
– Subsequently, in the main section, underscore the alignment between your skills and experience with the company’s needs. Essentially, you need to pitch yourself effectively within the body of your cover letter.
– Conclude the cover letter with a persuasive call to action, accompanied by an offer to accomplish a specific objective for the company upon being hired.